How to find a job in New Zealand

Whether you are planning to work for a few years or settle in New Zealand, you will need to get a job to have a work or resident visa. Working Holiday Visa can also be a way to get a foot in the door because you will be able to prove your skills first to convince your employer to sponsor you and get a work visa which happened to me 🙋.

All employers in New Zealand are allowed to hire people from overseas if they are not able to find New Zealanders to fill the job. Some companies are accredited employers with Immigration NZ which means it is easier for them to hire from overseas. This page will provide a practical information to help you find a job in New Zealand.

• Find job opportunities available
• Create a New Zealand CV style

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

Job opportunities are different per region so better think first where do you want to live in New Zealand (small town or city). You could research what jobs are available on where through job vacancy listings and recruitment websites like as follows:

Seek                                                                 Indeed

Trademe Jobs                                                     Work Here

Working In New Zealand                                  Careers

New Kiwis                                                         Career Jet

My Job Space                                                   NZ Jobs

Work and Income Job Bank                              Local Government Jobs NZ

New Zealand Government Jobs                       Student Job Search

For particular industry jobs, you may check the following:

Healthcare
Dairy Farming
Education

If you know exactly which company you want to work for, go directly to their website and contact them. You may also look for New Zealand accredited employer in your industry because if they need your skill, you may get a Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa.

In the Philippines, my sister was able to find her job through Work Abroad website and she was sponsored by her employer to come here in New Zealand. Of course, always validate with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the authenticity of the agency.

CREATE NEW ZEALAND CV STYLE

New Zealand employers like short, easy to ready curriculum vitae (CV) and only want to see the relevant information like:

• technical and personal skills
• work experience
  
• evidence of how you have applied your skills
• education and qualification
• community and volunteer experience

Most employers will also expect a cover letter with your CV to know why you think you are ideal for the post. The letter should include:

• brief introduction of yourself
• summary of your main appropriate skills and experience
  
• statement why you are the right person for the job

Common mistakes when writing a New Zealand style CV

• Though it is important to make a good impression of yourself, you should not appear too boastful about your achievements
• Don't use the same CV in every job application. New Zealand employers are expecting you to adjust your CV to highlight the skills relevant to the job you are applying

If you are ready to start developing your CV and Cover Letter, see sample templates in Career's website.

OUR TESTIMONY

I submitted more than 200 job application and was only contacted by 5 employers within 6 months before I got 2 job offers from Auckland and Wellington. I am turning 2 years in my current employer here in Wellington with my Work to Residence Visa and awaiting for my Residency Visa application approval.

My younger sister was denied to her first visa application to New Zealand. She tried to apply a Working Holiday Visa for 3 consecutive years and Silver Fern Visa before it was permanently closed last 2019 but was not a success. Now, she's here Auckland with all expense paid by her employer and did not pay placement fee.

"God has perfect timing; never early, never late.

It takes a little patience and it takes a lot of faith but

it's worth the wait."

Opportunities just don't happen, you create them. And remember that you will only fail when you stop trying. 😉

If you are excited to see the #JoyInNewZealand and curious about the cost of living here, I will share it on my next blog post so catch up soon! 💃

Tips and tricks in applying for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa from the Philippines

Working Holiday visa for New Zealand is available to young people aged 18 to 30 and up to 35 in some countries. This visa will allow you to travel, study and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months or 23 months in some countries. There are certain quotas for many countries, like for Philippines with 100 per year so it is really not easy to succeed. But don't worry... if you haven't read my previous blog Going to New Zealand on a Philippine Working Holiday Visa, I mentioned that this page will guide you in applying for the visa and give you a big advantage to get a slot - follow my tips and tricks ;)

WHAT TO PREPARE

By this time, I assume you followed my previous blog and already created an account for New Zealand Immigration Website. Prepare the following and follow the instructions below.

• Identification cards
• Fast internet connection
  
• Draft your application
  
• Credit Card
  

IDENTIFICATION CARDS

• Passport (must be valid for at least 15 months from the time you plan to enter New Zealand)

• Drivers License, Birth Certificate or National ID
  

FIND FAST INTERNET CONNECTION

The application is online so broadband speed (or internet speed) is very important because the faster your connection is the more chance you have to finish submitting your application before all 100 slots are gone. Search "internet speed test" in web browser, you can find lots of free internet speed test. Move around the place where you plan to do your application and find the best spot. Remember that internet speed is measured in megabits per second (mbps) so the higher the number of megabits you can get, the faster the connection is.

DRAFT YOUR APPLICATION

Don't be complacent when you see the form because you are not done yet as you need to fill it in completely as quickly as you can. If you are not fast in typing, then I recommend that you prepare your answers ahead by drafting it.

Use a chrome extension - Autofill

Download Google Chrome extension - Autofill or any other auto fill extension that you are comfortable to use. In New Zealand Immigration Website, look for Working Holiday Visas then login. Select a country that is still open then fill in a draft application (I recommend Germany because it is close to me heart 😜). Using the chrome extension, your response to the form will save for auto-fill. When you start the real application, everything will be filled automatically.

Steps:

• Fill out the form once
• Click on Autofill icon

• Select the profile and click the "Generate Autofill Rules" button

Document your response

If you are having a trouble in using auto-fill extension, you may simply document your response to word, excel, powerpoint or notepad then just copy (ctrl + c) and paste (ctrl + v) it in every field.

Ensure that all pages in specific section application is completed with correct information before you proceed to the next one. All the information that you provide will determine if you are eligible for a work visa under a Working Holiday scheme. You will see a check mark if the section was filled thoroughly.

This is very important because going back to the previous section will take time to load during the actual application and every millisecond counts. Below are screenshots of the form and the required fields that you need to fill in.

SECTIONS OF THE FORM

• PERSONAL - make sure to complete Personal details and Identification. Occupation details is optional so don't waste time in filling it in and proceed to the next one.
  

NOTE: Don't worry about the 'Citizenship of Passport' as it will change automatically when you select your country.

• HEALTH - All the fields in this section are required so be certain that you don't miss anything. This will determine if you need to provide further documents regarding your health.

• CHARACTER  - This section will decide if your character is acceptable to get this visa. Your police clearance will verify this too so answer honestly.
  

• WORKING HOLIDAY SPECIFIC - your intended travel date is for survey purposes only. You can choose whenever.
  

LEGAL STATEMENTS

On the last leg of the process, you need to review all the legal statements and tick the boxes before you can hit the submit button. Note that before you submit your application, you need to verify that all the information you entered are correct because you cannot change it once submitted.

CONFIRM AND PAY

To secure your place, you need to pay NZ$280 for your application on the confirmation page. You are opt to pay it later but your application will not be processed until your payment is cleared. This is the time to grab your Visa or Mastercard credit card and pay for the application to not waste any time.  Click Secure Payment Site, enter the name of the card holder that you will be using then click OK. You can use somebody else's credit card as long as you have asked permission first then write their name not yours.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION

You are done with your application once you have paid. You will receive regular update based on what  communication method you chose on your application. The immigration officer will inform you on what are the requirements you need to provide within 15 consecutive days before they can give the decision.

Don't get frustrated when you can't get a Working Holiday Visa because you can always try it next year or apply for a different type of visa. If you really want to see the #JoyInNewZealand, don't lose hope.😉🙏

"God has a reason for allowing things to happen.

We may never understand his wisdom,

but we simply have to trust His will."

Are you wondering how I found my job and changed my visa from Working Holiday to Work to Residence? I will share it on my next post so keep your eyes on this blog site! 👀